Herodotus, the 5th century Greek historian, has given us a lively account of the history and way of life of the neighbouring steppe peoples that he called the Scythians - probably a blanket term for a number of steppe groups.
It is clear from his account that not all Scythians were nomads. Some were settled farmers producing enormous quantities of grain in the 5th and 4th centuries for sale to the Greeks.
Others were pastoralists, moving their herds between lowland and upland pastures, while some were truly nomadic.
Most spectacular (and archaeologically most obvious) were the Royal Scythians and other such groups: mounted horsemen wielding a range of highly efficient new weapons: these included arrows with three-barbed tips, capable of piercing armour, composite bows from which to shoot them, iron swords and great spears.
The relationship of these horsemen to other groups probably varied: in some areas they were the highly regarded nobility of a unified people; elsewhere their position was more akin to that of gangsters operating a protection racket.
Scythian style material in central Europe might belong to such groups, or to local chiefs who used imported steppe horses and equipment to take on such a role themselves. The presence of rich urban societies ripe for plunder in the neighbourhood of these steppe peoples probably encouraged the development of these warrior groups.
By the 3rd century, the Scythians were in decline, their place on the steppe now being taken by the Sarmatians.
